Purdue will highlight life sciences teamwork at global BIO 2008

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -
A delegation from Purdue's Discovery Park and the Purdue Research Park will join global leaders next week at the BIO 2008 International Convention, showcasing how they are working together at the state, national and international levels to help heal, fuel and feed the world.

Slated for June 17-20 at the San Diego Convention Center, the annual event, sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, is expected to draw 20,000 corporate executives, researchers, government officials and venture capitalists for three days of networking and learning.

Purdue Research Park and Discovery Park are among the event's 2,200 exhibitors, showcasing the latest in biotechnology and life science products and services. A new feature, the Emerging Technologies Zone, will provide a venue for first-time exhibitors, including early-stage and startup companies, to get their ideas and products in front of the industry's top decision makers.

"Purdue is demonstrating how a university can successfully and effectively take a discovery in the laboratory, move it into development through the Purdue Research Foundation and then deliver it to the public where it best benefits people,” said Joseph B. Hornett, senior vice president, treasurer and chief operating officer for the Purdue Research Foundation, which operates Purdue Research Park. "BIO 2008 provides the Purdue Research Park and Discovery Park a global audience to showcase the best ways to develop a technology, launch a company to commercialize a product, and create quality jobs in the biotech and life sciences arena."

BIO 2008 features more than 180 educational sessions and workshops on finance, partnerships, research and development, science, and policy. The event also is taking on a greater international flavor with major exhibits for Brazil, Chili, Dubai, Portugal and South Africa among the 70 domestic and international pavilions.

Purdue will be part of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.'s booth at BIO 2008 (No. 3535), highlighting work of Purdue Research Park flagship life sciences companies such as Quadraspec Inc., BioVitesse Inc., Seyet Inc., Endocyte Inc., Bioanalytical Systems Inc. and the Chao Center for Industrial Pharmacy & Contract Manufacturing.

Purdue also will display the park's business development acceleration services and several of its biotechnology companies in West Lafayette and the park's satellite incubator in Merrillville, Ind. Two additional parks currently under construction are based in Indianapolis and New Albany, Ind.

"This global conference highlights the best practices that need to be deployed for strengthening biotechnology innovation at the academic level," said Charles Buck, operations director at Discovery Park's Bindley Bioscience Center. "Through Purdue's advancements in biofuels, biomedicine, biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology at Discovery Park and its pipeline to the Purdue Research Park, we are well-positioned as an international leader in biotech research."

During the conference, Purdue alum Moira A. Gunn, host of National Public Radio's "Biotech Nation," will moderate a session of international panelists titled "The Dynamics of a Globalized World and the Future of the Biotechnology Industry" from 8:30-10 a.m. (PDT) June 19.

Alexander Niculescu, professor of psychiatry and director of the Laboratory of Neurophenomics at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, will moderate the session "Advances in Biomarkers and Diagnostics for Alzheimer’s Disease and Psychiatric Disorders" at 10:30 a.m. to noon (PDT) on June 19.

BIO 2008 comes amid several major initiatives launched by Purdue to advance its research efforts in the life sciences.

Purdue and the Indiana University School of Medicine on May 29 were awarded a five-year $81 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to help fund the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Known as CTSI, the institute was created recently to more closely link IU and Purdue researchers. Purdue's Bindley Bioscience Center, for example, is collaborating on the project by using its Bio CD technology for analyzing patient samples quickly.

"This is an example of bringing multiple technologies to the research problem and a model for interdisciplinary research that will capture a great deal of attention at BIO 2008," Buck said.

On May 28, Purdue also launched a center focused on the development of analytical instruments critical to a wide range of fields, including health care and national security. The Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development will foster collaborations among leading institutions in the field including Purdue, University of Illinois, IU and University of Notre Dame.

At the same time, Purdue is playing a key role to advance BioCrossroads LINX, a new Indiana initiative working to build the state's strengths in drug development and manufacturing through educational and work force development programs and regional collaborations.

The state initiative is working to emphasize Indiana's life sciences industry strengths in contract research, formulation and manufacturing to U.S. Food and Drug Administration consulting, cold-chain storage and logistics services. Charles Rutledge, special projects director of research at Purdue and former research vice president, also serves as chairman of BioCrossroads LINX.

BioCrossroads LINX on June 4 announced the appointment of Michael Krupp, a veteran pharmaceutical and biotech industry executive who will work out of San Diego. Krupp will serve as a liaison between West Coast companies and Indiana's biopharmaceutical industry development, identifying collaborative opportunities for the state's research institutions and companies.

"BIO 2008 provides the state of Indiana, its many life sciences and pharmaceutical firms, and universities like Purdue a terrific platform to showcase what we can bring to the table in drug development, research and work force development programs," Rutledge said. "We have a terrific story to tell to those attending BIO 2008 in San Diego."

Indiana ranks fourth nationally for employment concentration in life sciences and second for biopharmaceutical jobs.

According to the BIO 2006 report, the United States has 1.2 million bioscience jobs. A separate 2005 report by the Indiana Health Industry Forum identified 274,000 jobs in the state directly tied to the health and life sciences industry. That's nearly 10 percent of all jobs in Indiana, and the two reports show 4.4 percent of the nation's life sciences jobs are in Indiana.

The ripple effect is significant for the state's economy, where the typical Hoosier earns $34,724 a year. By comparison, average biosciences salaries in Indiana range from $53,427 a year for research, testing and medical lab jobs to $88,364 in drugs and pharmaceuticals.

The 725-acre Purdue Research Park has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The park is home to more than 140 companies. About 90 of these firms are technology related and another 39 are incubator businesses. The park was ranked No. 1 in 2004 for university-affiliated research parks and received the 2005 Outstanding Commercialization Award, both from the Association of University Research Parks.

Since its 2001 launch, Purdue has invested more than $150 million in new facilities and $25 million in laboratory equipment to create what's become the nearly $400 million Discovery Park. The 40-acre hub brings together researchers from multiple disciplines to tackle the most complex challenges in the world today. The 11 centers focus on major research in areas ranging from health-care engineering, nanotechnology, life sciences and cyberinfrastructure to climate change, entrepreneurship, cancer diagnosis, homeland security and alternative energy.

Note to Journalists: Journalists who want to speak with officials from Discovery Park and the Purdue Research Park before or while they are participating in BIO 2008, can contact Phillip Fiorini at (765) 427-3009, pfiorini@purdue.edu, or Emil Venere at (765) 494-4709, venere@purdue.edu